India’s tennis contingent for the Paris Olympics consists of three members. Veteran player Rohan Bopanna, who previously represented India in the 2012 London and 2016 Rio Olympics, will team up with N Sriram Balaji in the men’s doubles. Meanwhile, rising star Sumit Nagal will compete in the men’s singles, aiming for a medal.
At 44, Bopanna has consistently maintained a spot in the top 10 of the doubles rankings since November last year, securing a quota for India. He is also the oldest athlete in the Indian contingent for Paris. Nagal, on the other hand, secured his spot after climbing 18 places in the singles rankings last month, earning the final quota spot through world rankings.
India will not have a competitor in the women’s event at the Paris Olympics, as the country has yet to find a successor to Sania Mirza following her retirement.
Earlier this year, Bopanna realized a lifelong dream by winning his first Grand Slam doubles title at the Australian Open, partnering with Matt Ebden of Australia. This victory propelled Bopanna to the world number one ranking in doubles at the age of 43, making him the oldest man in the Open Era to win a major men’s doubles title.
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Bopanna narrowly missed out on a medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics when he and Sania Mirza were defeated by Venus Williams and Rajeev Ram in the mixed doubles quarterfinals, followed by a loss to Radek Stepanek and Lucie Hradecka in the bronze medal playoff. Despite Bopanna and Balaji not having competed together before, Bopanna’s extensive experience and accomplishments offer hope for a medal.
Sumit Nagal, who secured Olympic qualification with consistent performances over the past year, is another player to watch. Nagal’s ranking surged from 138th at the beginning of the year to 68th in the ATP rankings. This will be his second consecutive Olympic appearance, having reached the second round in Tokyo 2020 before losing to former World No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. Nagal, who excels on clay, has a good chance to make a strong impression in Paris.
The Paris 2024 Olympic tennis events will feature 64 players each in the men’s and women’s singles competitions. The five events to be contested are Men’s Singles, Women’s Singles, Men’s Doubles, Women’s Doubles, and Mixed Doubles. The draws for these events will be made on July 25.
The tennis matches will take place at Roland Garros, the renowned home of the French Open, featuring 12 match courts, including the famous Court Philippe Chatrier and Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Tennis Schedule for Paris Olympics 2024:
- Men’s Singles: July 27 to August 4
- Men’s Doubles: July 27 to August 3
- Women’s Singles: July 27 to August 3
- Women’s Doubles: July 27 to August 4
- Mixed Doubles: July 29 to August 2
